本資料の編集にあたり、和田家当主和田正人様およびご家族の皆様から貴重な資料をご提供いただくことができ、さらに詳しい解説や説明をお聞きしながら進めることができました。あつくお礼申し上げます。
さらに内容や構成等につきまして、本学の後藤忠彦学長から丁寧なご指導をいただくことができました。本学ではすでに「おぅらい」シリーズとして、沖縄修学旅行おぅらい、飛騨おぅらいを発刊してきましたが、これらは学生のみならず多くの社会人にも広く利用されており、事前学習や訪問地でのより詳細な理解のための資料、学習資料等、多様に活用されています。
世界遺産「白川郷・五箇山の合掌集落」の中心的な存在である和田家には、日本人のみならず世界の各地から多くの人が訪れています。少しでも和田家を、そして白川郷、日本を理解していただくことに役立てていただければ幸いです。
(佐藤正明)
On Wada Ourai Acknowledgments
This booklet on Wada Ourai is the fruit of many years of recording and storing in digital archives the wealth of material that is in the possession of the Wada Family. It could not have been done without the tireless cooperation of the Wada household. Amongst the materials recorded there are precious documents and artifacts which were photographed and archived so that the documents could be preserved, and the documented digital archive could be of use to following researchers.
In editing this booklet, much appreciation goes to the head of the Wada household, Mr. Masato Wada and his family for allowing the university to access their material, and for spending many hours explaining documents and items unfamiliar to the layman.
As for the choice of content and general layout, we would like to show our appreciation to Professor Tadahiko Goto, President of Gifu Women’s University, who was instrumental in beginning the Ourai series with Okinawa Ourai for high school students going on field trips to Okinawa. A version for younger children learning English is now in progress. As for Hida Ourai, it is used widely by various members of society to learn more, and more deeply, about the Hida area prior to visiting there. It has already been translated into English.
Wada Mansion, central to the Shirakawa-go and Gokayama World Cultural Heritage Site, has been a popular place to visit for both Japanese and foreigners alike. It is hoped that through this booklet, these visitors will be able to learn a little more about the Wada Mansion and Shirakawa-go, and in so doing, gain a better understanding of Japan.
Masaaki Sato